Theodora Komnene

Theodora Komnene

Theodora Komnene or Comnena (Greek: Θεοδώρα Κομνηνή, "Theodōra Komnēnē") (born c. 1145) was a niece of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus, and wife of King Baldwin III of Jerusalem.

Family

Theodora was a daughter of the "sebastokratōr" Isaac Komnenos by his second wife, Eirene Synadene. Her father was a son of Emperor John II Komnenos and Piroska of Hungary, daughter of King Ladislaus I of Hungary.

Her paternal uncles included Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. Her sister Eudokia Komnene married William VIII of Montpellier and was the grandmother of King James I of Aragon. Her half-sister Maria Komnene married King Stephen IV of Hungary.

Queen consort of Jerusalem

Baldwin III of Jerusalem had taken control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his mother and Regent Queen Melisende in 1153. He was unmarried, however, and around 1157 it was decided by the "Haute Cour" that a wife should be sought from the Byzantine Empire, the kingdom's most powerful and wealthy neighbour. A Byzantine alliance would hopefully also bring much-needed money and military assistance against Nūr al-Dīn, sultan of Syria and Jerusalem's greatest enemy.

Attard, archbishop of Nazareth, Humphrey II of Toron, constable of Jerusalem, Joscelin Piscellus, and William de Barris were sent to Constantinople to negotiate a marriage for the king (Attard died while on the mission). The ambassadors were delayed in Constantinople for almost an entire year but it was finally decided that Theodora would be chosen as Baldwin's wife. She was at the time only 12 or 13 years old, but was already renowned for her beauty. Her dowry was worth 100,000 hyperpyra, and William of Tyre estimated that her extravagant wedding clothes cost another 14,000 hyperpyra. As a dowry from Baldwin, Theodora was granted the city of Acre, which she would hold as her own should Baldwin die childless.

The ambassadors arrived in Jerusalem with Theodora in September of 1158. Aimery of Limoges, the patriarch of Antioch, performed the marriage, as the patriarch of Jerusalem had not yet been consecrated. Baldwin was previously known for his frivolous lifestyle, but now became a devoted and loyal husband. The marriage was short and childless: Baldwin died only a few years later in 1162, leaving Theodora a widow at age 16. Theodora received the city of Acre, as promised.

Mistress of Andronikos I Komnenos

A few years later in 1166, Theodora's kinsman Andronikos, a first cousin of her father, visited the kingdom and was named lord of Beirut by Baldwin's brother and successor Amalric I. Andronikos invited Theodora to Beirut, and the two eloped to Damascus, or as William says, Andronikos abducted her in collusion with Nūr al-Dīn. It was likely not an abduction; Andronikos was already married, and had already had an affair with Philippa, a sister of Prince Bohemund II of Antioch and of Manuel's wife Maria of Antioch, and he was likely trying to escape persecution by Manuel, who did not approve of these incestuous affairs. As there was no legal marriage, Acre was returned to King Amalric. Amalric had also married a Byzantine princess, Maria Komnene, and the imperial alliance remained intact.

At the court of Nūr al-Dīn in Damascus, Andronikos and Theodora had two children together, Alexios and Eirene, although Andronikos was inevitably excommunicated. They also travelled to Baghdad, and then to the Sultanate of Rüm where Andronikos was made lord of a castle in Paphlagonia.

Some years later Theodora and her children were captured and handed over to the emperor Manuel, who kept them in Constantinople as a bait to encourage Andronikos to return to his Byzantine allegiance. He did in fact capitulate and visited Constantinople in 1180 to submit to Manuel.

When he finally returned to Constantinople in 1182, becoming emperor in 1183, there is no evidence that Theodora went back to live with him. It was at this time, however, that their daughter Eirene married Alexios, an illegitimate son of Emperor Manuel I by of Theodora Vatatzina. At this time, too, Theodora interceded with Andronikos to pay the ransom for her nephew, Isaac, a former Byzantine governor of Isauria now a captive in Armenia; Andronikos afterwards regretted doing so, since Isaac rebelled and seized control of Cyprus.

K. Varzos suggests that Theodora Komnene and Theodora Vatatzina eventually conspired against Andronikos, but there seems to be no positive evidence of this. Her later history is not known.

Namesakes

Another Theodora Komnene was the wife of Prince Bohemund III of Antioch and sister of Queen Maria Komnene of Jerusalem. A third Theodora Komnene was the wife of Duke Henry II of Austria and mother of Duke Leopold V of Austria.

ources

*William of Tyre, "A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea", trans. E.A. Babcock and A.C. Krey. Columbia University Press, 1943.
*Bernard Hamilton, "Women in the Crusader States: The Queens of Jerusalem", in "Medieval Women", edited by Derek Baker. Ecclesiastical History Society, 1978.
*Steven Runciman, "A History of the Crusades, vol. II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem". Cambridge University Press, 1952.
*"O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniatēs", trans. Harry J. Magoulias. Wayne State University Press, 1984.
*K. Varzos, "Ē genealogia tōn Komnēnōn" (Thessalonica, 1984) vol. 2 pp. 327-346.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Theodora Komnene — Theodora Komnena oder Komnene ist der Name mehrerer Frauen aus der byzantinischen Familie Komnenos: Theodora Komnena (Jerusalem) (um 1145–nach 1185), Königin von Jerusalem, Geliebte des Kaisers Andronikos I., Mutter von Irene Theodora Komnena… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Theodora Komnene (Trapezunt) — Theodora Komnene (* vor 1253; † nach 1285) war von 1284 bis 1285 Kaiserin und Großkomnenin von Trapezunt. Theodora war eine Tochter des trapezuntischen Kaisers Manuel I. und seiner zweiter Frau, einer georgischen Prinzessin namens Rusudan. Im… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Theodora Komnena — oder Komnene ist der Name mehrerer Frauen aus der byzantinischen Familie Komnenos: Theodora Komnena (Jerusalem) (um 1145–nach 1185), Königin von Jerusalem Theodora Komnena (Österreich) († 1183/4), Gattin von Heinrich II. Jasomirgott Theodora… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Theodora (Trapezunt) — Theodora Komnene (* vor 1253; † nach 1285) war von 1284 bis 1285 Kaiserin und Großkomnenin von Trapezunt. Theodora war eine Tochter des trapezuntischen Kaisers Manuel I. und seiner zweiter Frau, einer georgischen Prinzessin namens Rusudan. Im… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Theodora Angela (Byzanz) — Theodora Angela Prinzessin von Byzanz, Herzogin von Österreich (* nach 1205, † 22./23. Juni 1246 in Kahlenberg) war als Gemahlin von Leopold VI. dem Glorreichen von Österreich Herzogin von Österreich und Steiermark, wurde als Witwe Nonne und im… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina — (c. 1240 4 March, 1303) was the Empress consort of Michael VIII Palaiologos. FamilyTheodora was a daughter of John Doukas Vatatzes and Eudokia Angelina. The names of her parents were recorded by George Acropolites. Her paternal grandparents were… …   Wikipedia

  • Theodora — can refer to any of the following:* Flavia Maximiana Theodora, daughter of the Roman Emperor Maximian and second wife of the Emperor Constantius I Chlorus. * Theodora (6th century), Empress of the late Roman Empire and wife of Justinian I,… …   Wikipedia

  • Theodora Komnena (Österreich) — Gertrud (Gertraud), Tochter Kaiser Lothars, und Theodora Komnena, Nichte des byzantinischen Kaisers Manuel Komnenos. (Ausschnitt aus dem Babenberger Stammbaum, Stift Klosterneuburg) Theodora Komnena Prinzessin von Byzanz, erste Herzogin von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Théodora Comnène (femme de Baudouin III de Jérusalem) —  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Théodora Comnène.  Théodora Comnène (1146 † après 1185) est une fille d Isaac Comnène, sébastocrate, et de Theodora Kamaterina, une nièce de Manuel Ier Comnène, empereur byzantin et une reine de Jérusalem… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Theodora Petraliphaina — (Griechisch: Θεοδώρα Πετραλίφαινα, die Heilige Theodora von Arta; * um 1225 in Servia; † nach 1270 in Arta) war mit Michael II. Komnenos Dukas Angelos, Despot von Epirus verheiratet, wurde als Witwe Nonne, von der Orthodoxen Kirche kanonisiert… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”